Appearing at the National Right to Life Convention in Dallas on Thursday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) criticized state Sen. Wendy Davis (D), saying the woman who stopped his favored anti-abortion legislation cold on Tuesday had not learned anything from “her own example” as a teen mom.

“She was the daughter of a single woman,” Perry told the crowd. “She was a teenage mother herself. She managed to eventually graduate from Harvard Law School and serve in the Texas Senate.”

“It’s just unfortunate that she hasn’t learned from her own example that every life must be given a chance to realize its full potential and that every life matters,” he added.

In a prepared statement, Cecile Richards, daughter of former Texas Gov. Ann Richards (D) and president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, joined Davis in blasting Perry’s description of the Fort Worth Democrat.

“Rick Perry’s remarks are incredibly condescending and insulting to women,” her statement reads. “This is exactly why the vast majority of Texans believe that politicians shouldn’t be involved in a woman’s personal health care decisions. Women are perfectly capable of deciding whether to choose adoption, end a pregnancy, or raise a child, and they don’t need Rick Perry’s help making that decision.”

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa, who told Raw Story he wants Davis to run for governor, reacted similarly. “Just … Wow,” he wrote in a fundraising email. “This personal attack on Senator Davis is outrageous and disgraces the office the Governor holds. But it’s not out of character for Perry, who constantly shows just how little regard he has for Texan women.”

About the Author

Stephen C. Webster is the senior editor of Raw Story, and is based out of Austin, Texas. He previously worked as the associate editor of The Lone Star Iconoclast in Crawford, Texas, where he covered state politics and the peace movement’s resurgence at the start of the Iraq war. Webster has also contributed to publications such as True/Slant, Austin Monthly, The Dallas Business Journal, The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Weekly, The News Connection and others. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenCWebster.